Disco Lovers by The Ace of Hearts

Puzzle explanation

The perimeter entries were synonyms for “friend”, suggesting the title Circle of Friends, a 1990 novel by Maeve Binchy. The letters omitted from radial entries spelt out “Have … have you ever gone all the way with a girl?”, a line spoken by Benny Hogan in the 1995 film of the book. The puzzle’s title is a variation on the book’s, as “disc o’ lovers”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer (omitted letters) Explanation
Perimeter
1 ASSOCIATE ASS + O’ + C + I + ATE
10 CATER-COUSIN OUTCRIES * in CAN
21 BELAMY BELAY around M
27 COMRADE ARM < in CODE
34 MATE (g)ET A M(ove) <
Radials
1 (H)ATBRUS(H) BRAT * + U/S
2 S(A)UGERS AUGERS with S for A
3 SA(V)ANTS AS < + ANTS
4 OV(E)NWAR(E) (OAR around W) around V(enetia)N
5 P(H)YLARC(H) PLAY * + RC
6 (A)LRIGHT LIGHT around R
7 LA(V)ABOS AB in LAOS
8 GALAT(E)A LA in (A + TAG) <
9 (Y)ARDAGE (R(efun)D + AGE) after A
10 H(O)RM(O)NIC MN in RICH *
11 HARBO(U)R ARBOR after H
12 TW(E)LFTH T(o)W(e)L(s) F(e)T(c)H
13 FER(V)ENT WEREN’T with F for W
14 FRIS(E)TT(E) STIR * in FT
15 F(R)IESIC FIE + SIC
16 ISO(G)AMY IS FOAMY − F
17 (O)UREBIS BRUISE *
18 FRISSO(N) RISS in FO
19 IMAGIN(E) MAGI in IN
20 NUT(A)RI(A)N TRI(p) in NUN
21 BU(LL)HORN HO in BURN
22 ORSEI(LL)E IE after ROSE *
23 (T)HRO(TT)LER ROLE in HR
24 OAR FIS(H) (A + R) in OF + IS
25 MOONSH(EE) MOON + S/H
26 (W)ORKSHY SH in PORKY − P
27 RH(A)CHIS S after (RH + CHI)
28 CHARPO(Y) C + OPRAH <
29 PRE(W)ARM PM around REAR
30 (I)MPROVE MP + ROVE
31 A(T T)HE (T)IME (AIM + E) around HE
32 DIS(H)OME DI + SO + ME
33 ERITRE(A) TIRE < + RE
34 TRAN(G)AM (MAN + ART) <
35 TR(I)ENN(I)A (CENTENAR(y) − CE) *
36 TU(R)GENT GENT after TU
37 (L)EAD OUT EA + D + OUT
Back to 2020 menu